DiscoverWas Justice Served?The Barnsley Murders, Part 2: Richardson
The Barnsley Murders, Part 2: Richardson

The Barnsley Murders, Part 2: Richardson

Update: 2025-09-16
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‘He fired three shots at him, two of which took effect in the head and spine, and he fell to the ground...’ 


On a spring morning in 1888, an enraged labourer stormed into his workplace, a brickworks, with a small revolver. Striding decisively towards William Berridge - the foreman who had fired him just hours ago - the man fired three shots into Berridge’s leg, head and torso. By midday, he’s in a cell, charged with intent to kill. But how was this violent crime prosecuted?  


In part two, Jen and David are looking at another shooting which took place in Barnsley, just weeks apart from the murder of Eileen Burke. They compare how the criminal justice system handled these two cases, reflecting on the role of class in sentencing and punishment. 


Discover the details for yourself in the episode's Case Files - a collection of all the key newspaper reports - available to browse for free on Findmypast: www.findmypast.co.uk/wasjusticeserved 


Was justice served? Share your judgement with the WJS community: 


@wasjusticeservedpod #wasjusticeserved 


Producer - Madeleine Gilbert 


Assistant Producer - Daisy Goddard 


AV Editor - Callum Main 


Video Lead - Andrew Farrell 


Researcher - Jen Baldwin 


Voiceover - Tanya O’Sullivan 


AV Lead - Mark Asquith 


Executive Producer - Helen Kaye

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The Barnsley Murders, Part 2: Richardson

The Barnsley Murders, Part 2: Richardson

Findmypast